Title: School Boy Error - Chapter 1

Pairing: Chandler/Kent

Author: Claddagh

Rating: NC-17

Summary: Written for the kink meme prompt of 'Chandler/Kent, AU, student/teacher.' Will be a multi chaptered fic.

Disclaimer: Not mine

An 18 year old Emerson Kent sighed quietly as he turned the page in his A2-level Psychology textbook. Even the noise around him wasn't enough to break his concentration and absorption of the words and theories in front of him. In the seat next to him, his mate, Sam was busy flirting with Jenny Young, and it was safe to say, he was failing miserably. The rest of the A-level class were busy doing their own thing, some talking, others walking around. No one except Emerson was doing anything related to psychology.

They were 15 minutes into the lesson and as of yet their teacher had not appeared, which was odd. Mr Warner was rarely late, and already most of the students were talking about leaving and going home if a teacher didn't turn up soon. Kent wasn't really listening, he was more absorbed in his textbook.

When the door of the classroom opened and the head of psychology walked in, the whole classroom quickly fell quiet, the students taking their seats and staring expectantly at the department head.

Kent looked up from his book and for the first time noticed the man who had entered the room right behind Dr. Tabor. He was young, probably late twenties, with blonde hair, that was neatly styled to the side. His skin was tanned, but not through hours spent on sun beds or masses of holidays, it looked like he just had that natural hue to his flesh, a natural healthy glow. He was dressed very smartly in a flawless and obviously tailored navy suit, a white shirt and dark tie, a black briefcase in his right hand. All in all he looked like he should be sat in an expensive government office, not in an A-level classroom in front of a bunch of teenagers.

Dr. Tabor cleared his throat, expecting quiet, but the action was mostly redundant as everyone in the room was already silent, even the usual class troublemakers.

"Class, I'm very sorry to tell you this, but your usual teacher Mr Warner, has been put on long term sick leave." There were mixed reactions to this, some students cheering quietly, knowing that they would now have a substitute, and what fun those people could be! Kent glanced at the newcomer. Others, like Kent, who were committed to their work internally groaned, as now the amount of work that would be completed while they had a substitute would drop significantly, the class slipping behind in their work very quickly.

Dr. Tabor held up his hand for silence. "So, to stop your class from falling behind, We've brought in Mr Joseph Chandler. He usually teaches psychology at the University, but as a personal favour to me he will be taking you for all of your lessons until Mr Warner returns."

There was silence for a few seconds, Dr. Tabor waiting for someone to react or protest this arrangement. When none came, he gave a quick smile and gestured to the new teacher.

"They're all yours."

"Thank you David."

Dr. Tabor left the room with a final glance at the students, his expression clearly saying 'behave, or else'.

The students watched silently as Chandler walked over to the lecture's desk and placed the briefcase on the floor, (making sure that it was perpendicular to the edge of the desk) and carefully pulled off his coat and hooked it over the back of the chair. The students all exchanged a mixture of amused and confused glances at this, a slight ripple of laughter going through the classroom. Chandler however, didn't seem to notice. Then he looked up at the group of students, clapped his hands together, slightly awkwardly and began speaking, his voice even and confident, even if his body language said otherwise.

"As Dr. Tabor said, I am Joseph Chandler, I teach Psychology at the university, specialising in criminal psychology. While I do not expect you to behave like my degree students I do expect you to behave like the adults you are in my lessons." He surveyed the classroom, focusing on each face in turn. When he came to Emerson near the front of the class, he lingered an extra few seconds, his gaze flicking down towards his desk where his textbook laid open, dog eared, covered in scribbled annotations, notes and highlighter pen, as well as his vast pile of written notes next to the book.

He was the only student with his textbook and notes out.

One side of Chandler's lips quirked upwards in a tiny, almost unnoticeable smile at Kent, who couldn't help return the expression. The exchange was over in a second, then Chandler's eyes moved away, focusing on the other students. Kent bit his lip and looked down at his over read textbook.

Maybe he'd get some recognition of his hard work in the subject from this teacher. Would make a nice change!

"Now, let's get started. I've been told that you were right in the middle of The effectiveness of Eye witness testimony. A very good first topic for me to teach you, considering my speciality." Chandler walked up to the board and looked at the ledge at the bottom where the board rubber and pens usually were kept. He hesitated for a second, the students could clearly see that there was no pen. He turned back to the class.

"I need a pen. Does anyone know where Mr Warner kept them."

The silence stretched. Everyone knew where they were kept, in the cabinet draw under the window, but this guy was a substitute, and there was an unspoken student code of conduct concerning substitutes. You weren't to help them, you were meant to make their life as hellish as possible. It was law.

A few students began to laugh as the seconds passed. Chandler could tell that they knew where the pens were, and were just being difficult. He looked awkwardly down at the floor, his hands placed in his pockets.

"I can wait." He stated simply, irritation creeping into his voice.

Kent looked around at his fellow classmates, some giggling, others staring smugly at the poor man at the front of the classroom, most however were just avoiding looking at him, not wanting to make his life difficult, but even more reluctant to break with the class social norm and help him.

Eventually after another minute, Kent couldn't stand looking at Chandler anymore and slammed his pen on his desk, before getting up from his seat and walking over to the draw where the spare pens were kept. He threw every one of his peers a dirty look as he passed them. He hated the way substitute teachers were treated and never took part in the practice if he could help it.

The laughter grew slightly as Kent pulled out a spare pen from the box and made his way up to Chandler, the pen clutched tightly in his fingers. A few of his nastier class mates made comments of 'teachers pet' and 'Arse licker' behind their hands, but worse of all, Fitz, the class bully (it's a wonder he got into college at all!) tried to trip him as he walked past his desk. He shot him his foulest look, hoping it would deter the boy, but all he got for his troubles was a smug smile and a raised eyebrow.

Chandler looked immensely relieved as Kent held out his hand, quickly plucking the pen from pale fingers.

"Thank you - uh…?" He looked expectantly at the young man.

"Emerson."

"Emerson! Thank you Emerson." Chandler replied, pointedly glaring at the rest of the class, before turning to the board and beginning to write. Kent made his way back to his seat, ignoring Sam, who tapped him on the arm and gave him a questioning look. The young man couldn't help but smile slightly into his textbook at the thought of how his name had sounded on Chandler's lips, he'd said it very softly, with a slight emphasis on the 'E'. He'd also noticed from their momentary close proximity that the Lecture's eyes were a bright blue, fitting nicely with his hair colour.

"OK, Eye witness testimony. This method of collecting data in the criminal justice system has always been relied upon heavily, despite it's hugely fallible nature. A famous study completed in 1974, where participants were given leading questions and asked to estimate the speed of a car crash illustrated this perfectly. Can anyone name the psychologists in that study?"

Silence once again.

Kent sighed inwardly, this would be a long lesson.

Almost reluctantly he allowed his hand to climb into the air.

Chandler blinked, his lips twitching again in the same little almost smile, before he curbed the emotion and pointed at Kent.

"Yes. Emerson?"

The hand went down. "Loftus and Palmer, Sir. 'An interaction between language and memory.'"

"Yes, Loftus and Palmer, excellent, well done Emerson!" Chandler almost beamed, the expression seeming slightly out of place considering how serious he'd been up until now. "Now, the results of that study have been the catalyst for a great deal of research into the reliability and validity of eye witness testimony. Studies such as…"

Kent sat at his desk, taking in every word that Chandler was saying, while his classmates talked, whispered and giggled. He barely spared them a thought, all of his attention focused on the man at the front of the room. Throughout the lesson he answered half a dozen more questions thrown at him, each answer being met with either a word of praise or a smile from Chandler. Kent couldn't help but preen under the praise and attention.

Unfortunately, he could also feel the stares and glares from his classmates.

It would definitely be a very long lesson.